


Cracked

by Kereng



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-15
Updated: 2003-04-15
Packaged: 2019-05-30 10:12:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15094571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kereng/pseuds/Kereng
Summary: A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of theWest Wing Fanfiction Central, a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in theannouncement post.





	Cracked

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Cracked**

**by:** Kerry

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance   
**Rating:** YTEEN **Disclaimer:** I don't own `em.  
**Summary:** 3rd in the Banter and Bets series  
**Author's Note:** This is the sequel to "Bellowed Out" and "Husky" and you need to read them for this to make sense.  Many, many thanks for all the feedback for that fic; it's greatly appreciated. I should probably point out that the time-setting for this is Season 4, while Sam is on his leave of absence. 

"You're looking awfully happy today, Joshua." 

"Why, yes, CJ, I am," Josh replied as he followed CJ from the press room to her office. 

"And just what is making you so happy?" she asked with raised eyebrows. 

"Nothing in particular," he answered nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders for effect. 

"Uh huh," CJ said skeptically.  "Hey, how's Donna feeling today?  I noticed she was back but haven't had a chance to talk to her.  Shouldn't she still be at home?  It was only yesterday that she had to go home sick." 

"You mean, it was only yesterday that you *forced* her to go home," Josh retorted. 

"Are you still hung up on that, Josh?" she asked tiredly.  "Really, it was for the best." 

"I know," he agreed softly.  "If she hadn't gone home yesterday, she probably wouldn't be fit to come back here today." 

"Aha," CJ said triumphantly, poking a finger in his chest.  "That's why you're happy, because Donna's feeling better and is back at work." 

"Something like that," Josh muttered to himself with a smile.  He raised his voice again to answer CJ seriously.  "I have a ton of stuff to do today and I need Donna to do the research, so, yeah, I'm glad she's back." 

"Hmm, so, what can I do for you, Josh?" CJ asked as they entered her office. 

"Huh?" 

"Josh, you just followed me from the press room, so I'm assuming you wanted to talk to me?" 

"Oh, yeah, I just wanted to tell you to dial it back on the Education Bill for the moment; I think we're going to have to make a few more changes before it's ready." 

"Okay."  Josh didn't make any attempt to move and CJ looked at him strangely.  "Anything else, Josh?" 

Her words snapped him out of his daze and he met her eyes with a smile.  "No, I'll be going now." 

* 

"Tobus," CJ said, entering Toby's office and closing the door.  "It's working." 

"What's working?" he asked with irritation.  He was redrafting the Inauguration Speech again and it wasn't going well. 

"Josh." 

That got his attention and he looked up, saying dryly, "Josh is working?  Now, that's something for the record books."  CJ chuckled and felt herself smirk. 

"I'll tell him you said that; I'm sure he'll be delighted that you think so much of the effort he's putting into the Education Bill.  Anyway, you know what I'm talking about." 

"I do?"  Toby looked at her blankly. 

"Yes, you do."  The blank look was still there.  "Josh and Donna.  He very nearly admitted it to me this morning." 

"CJ, do I need to know about this?" 

"Yes." 

"Why?" 

"I thought you liked it when I'm being devious?" 

"You're not being devious," Toby stated dryly, "you're being annoying." 

"I'm being devious!" 

Toby sat back in his chair and gave CJ his full attention.  "Really?" 

"Yeah, I'm being devious and it's getting to Josh.  I know he wants to tell me but something's holding him back; I don't know what that is though." 

"Maybe the fact that he's scared of you?" Toby suggested with a slight grin. 

"You might have a point," CJ conceded, though she still fixed him with a glare. 

"I always have a point, and if you people would actually deign to listen to me –" 

"Toby?" CJ interrupted. 

"Yes?" 

"Shut up!" 

Toby chuckled quietly, knowing he was managing to irritate her.  "Why don't you just ask Josh straight out?" 

"Where's the fun in that, Toby?  I thought we agreed to wait it out, let him crack." 

"Yes, we did, and I will still go along with that plan, as long as it doesn't involve me having to listen to you gloat constantly about Josh *nearly* cracking; come back to me once he's spilled his guts." 

"Toby!" CJ admonished.  "I know you don't mean that." 

"You want a bet?" 

"Actually, I might," she replied seriously; Toby gave her a curious look.  "I bet you that Josh will crack by the end of the day." 

"With or without intervention by you?" 

"Well, that depends on your interpretation of *intervention*," she answered slyly. 

"CJ, what do you have in mind?"  His tone was full of suspicion, but his eyes betrayed his intrigue. 

She shook her head.  "Do we have a bet?" she asked pointedly. 

"How much?" 

"Fifty bucks." 

"Do I get to set the rules?" 

"No." 

"CJ, if I don't get to set the rules there is no bet.  I really have little interest in this, I just like seeing Josh squirm and if I can make money out of it, that's an added bonus." 

"I'm sure I can interest someone else in taking the bet," CJ stated through a smile. 

"Like who?" 

"Hmm…Leo, the President, the First Lady…" she trailed off, grinning widely. 

"I doubt it.  They have no idea what's going on and I don't think you want to be the one to tell them; I know you're saving that task for Josh." 

CJ narrowed her eyes, knowing Toby had a point but unwilling to admit defeat.  "Do we have a bet or not?" 

"Do I get to set the rules or not?" 

"What are the rules?" 

"Uh uh," Toby replied, shaking his head.  "First, agree to the bet and then I'll tell you the rules." 

"No way," CJ objected.  "The bet was my idea in the first place, I want to know the rules first." 

"Alright," Toby grudgingly agreed, stroking his beard and thinking.  CJ took a seat on the couch and tapped her foot impatiently.  "First, you can't ask him straight out if he and Donna are dating—" 

"Like I'd do that anyway," CJ interrupted. 

"I just want to make it clear; my definition of cracking is for Josh to tell you that he is seeing Donna, without being asked directly." 

"Okay," she agreed. 

"Second, there has to be a witness." 

"Toby, I can't do that.  We can't let anyone else know about this until Leo and the President have been informed." 

"So, have one of them as a witness," he suggested, earning himself a glare from CJ.  She then thought about the suggestion some more and grinned. 

"That's not a bad idea.  That way, I'll get to be in the room when Josh tells them, which makes it more fun for me; getting details of their reaction second-hand won't be nearly as good." 

"Okay, well that's settled then," Toby agreed, "rule number two is that either Leo or the President has to be with you when Josh cracks." 

"Wait, it's a *rule* now?  I thought it was just a suggestion but I could have any witness." 

"You just said yourself that you can't have anyone else as a witness," Toby pointed out. 

"I could have used you," she replied. 

"Too bad, rule number two will stand," he smirked.  "Rule number three is that you cannot inform either Leo or the President of what you are planning, or of our bet.  If I find out you let them in on it, you lose the money.  In fact, you'll have to pay me double in that instance." 

"That's hardly fair," she protested.  Toby just shrugged his shoulders.  "Okay, well, in that case, I think we should up the ante," CJ proposed. 

"To how much?" 

"A hundred bucks."  Toby nodded.  "And, you'll have to take me out to dinner when I win," she added. 

"And if I win?" 

"Well, that's not going to happen so we don't need to consider that." 

"CJ." 

"Oh, alright.  If you win, I will take you out to dinner."  Toby gave her a pointed look.  "Okay, I'll take you to a bar and I'll pay the tab." 

"That's better, I'm in agreement." 

"So, we have a bet?" she asked hopefully. 

"Not yet," Toby replied. 

CJ's shoulders slumped.  "What now?" 

"There are more rules." 

"More!  Toby!" 

Toby continued amidst CJ's protests.  "Rule number four…you can't drop any hints to Josh that you already know and you can't start playing twenty questions with him again to get him to make an admission." 

"What?!  How the hell am I supposed to do this then?" 

"That's your problem.  Now, do we have a bet?" 

"Fine," she grudgingly concurred.  "But first, I have a rule of my own."  Toby raised his eyebrows.  "You can't tell Josh, or drop any hints, about the fact that I already know.  If I find out that you've told him about our bet, you will owe *me* double the money and dinner.  Okay?" 

"It's a bet," Toby agreed, standing up and stretching out his hand.  CJ stood up to clasp his hand in hers and then tightened her grip until he grimaced.  "CJ, could you let go of my hand now?" 

"I'm just showing you that you shouldn't try to mess with me, Tobus.  I have ways of getting revenge; I can hurt you." 

* 

CJ left Toby's office and headed for her own, purposely passing through Josh's bullpen area along the way.  Noticing that Donna wasn't at her desk, she popped her head around Josh's slightly ajar office door. 

"Hi, guys, what's up?" 

Josh and Donna both looked up suddenly.  Donna was once again sitting at Josh's computer and Josh was standing over her, watching her type, with his hands resting on the back of the chair, almost touching her shoulders. 

"Nothing," Josh replied, with both a guilty look on his face and an uncomfortable tone in his voice, as he dropped his hands to his sides. 

"Really?" CJ asked disbelievingly, stepping fully into the office and striding towards the computer.  Donna hurriedly hit `alt-tab' and the screen contents switched to Josh's e-mail. 

"We're, uh…"  Josh glanced at the monitor and finished his sentence, "checking my e-mail." 

"Anything interesting?" CJ inquired, managing to hide her smile. 

"No, you know, just the usual," Donna replied when Josh looked at her helplessly.  "Josh just seems to have forgotten how to type again; I'm sure he's trying to get me back for taking time off yesterday." 

Josh narrowed his eyes at Donna and CJ let out a laugh.  "Well, remember, I'm still available to kick his ass," she offered. 

"Don't worry, I think I've got that covered," Donna laughed.  Josh rolled his eyes at them both but looked a little frightened. 

"Do you need anything, CJ?" Josh asked, trying to steer the conversation to safer ground, instead of its current course that could result in bodily harm to him. 

"Not really, I was just passing," CJ shrugged.  "I'll leave you to get back to your…e-mail," she said with a grin, conveying that she didn't believe their story.  Donna glanced up at Josh to find him staring down at her with a slightly flustered expression. 

"Okay, thanks, CJ.  We'll see you later," Donna smiled, taking control of the situation. 

"Yeah, should I close the door on my way out?" CJ asked mischievously, almost failing to restrain her laughter as Josh's flustered look increased. 

"No, that's okay," Donna replied.  CJ merely nodded at them and left, leaving the door completely open. 

"Do you think she knows?" Josh asked Donna quietly as soon as CJ left. 

"I don't think so," she replied, sounding unsure.  "Should I switch back now?"  Josh nodded and she hit `alt-tab' again a few times until she got back to the Internet screen they had been looking at previously. 

"Is anything available?" Josh inquired, leaning over the back of Donna's chair and placing his hands on either side of the computer, his head next to hers. 

"I don't know yet, CJ came in just as I was going to put in the date we decided on." 

"Well, hurry up," Josh requested impatiently.  "Before someone else comes in." 

Donna let out a sigh and leaned back in the chair to look at him properly.  "Why don't you close the door?" she suggested. 

"What, after we just told CJ it wasn't necessary, that's going to look really good, isn't it?" 

"In that case, would you shut up, stop breathing down my neck and let me finish this?" she demanded, her patience waning. 

"Okay," Josh replied meekly, removing his arms and taking a step back. 

* 

"So, CJ, how's it going?" Toby asked that afternoon; he was waiting for her as she exited the press room after her briefing.  "Do I need to visit an ATM to get some cash out, or will I be making a deposit instead?" 

"Shut up." 

"Now, CJ, that's not very…" he trailed off. 

"What?!  It's not very what?" CJ demanded, stopping in the corridor and turning to face him. 

"Well, I was going to say nice.  Am I to assume you're having a few problems getting Josh to crack?" 

"Shut up," CJ repeated. 

"You had to expect it, CJ.  After all, he's a politician, he's good at being evasive." 

"Toby, you know as well as I do that Josh is hopeless at being evasive about certain things.  He will crack by the end of the day, mark my words." 

"You sure?" 

"Yes." 

"Okay," Toby smiled. 

"I'm telling you, Toby, he'll crack.  He's bouncing around, all excited and happy.  I'm sure he would have cracked earlier but Donna seems to be reigning him in, keeping him under control.  I'll get him though."  A thought occurred to her and she fixed him with a pointed look.  "Why are you here?  You said earlier that you really weren't interested in this, that you didn't want to hear about it again until it was done, so, why are you here?" 

"Well, I might have said I didn't want to hear about *you* gloating about it being done, but I figured I could get some free entertainment by gloating about the fact that it's not done yet," he admitted with a small smirk. 

"Go away from me," CJ ordered. 

* 

CJ bumped into Josh a few times throughout the afternoon and each time he nearly gave himself away as he bounced around and grinned to himself.  CJ never actually commented on it, due to Toby's rules, but she raised her eyebrows a few times; Josh's reaction to this was to go on the defensive, immediately thinking he'd done something wrong.  This amused CJ greatly and she was almost glad Toby had enforced the rules; not *saying* anything was fun and he had never set a rule about not looking pointedly at Josh to make him crack.  Although CJ wasn't a lawyer, she knew how to play the game with the best of them and she smiled smugly to herself as she plotted her next move. 

* 

"So, Donnatella," Josh murmured quietly as she dropped a folder beside him on his desk later in the day, "are you back to full strength yet?" 

He swung his chair around to face her and the look in his eyes caused Donna's heart to race.  She stood still, her legs brushing against his knees, and looked at him intently.  "I'm feeling a lot better, yes," she replied, her voice calm and composed, the opposite of how she was feeling at that moment; she knew full well what Josh was going to say next. 

"That's just as well," he said, his dimples out in full force.  He widened his legs a little and wheeled his chair forward so that Donna was now standing between his knees.  "Because," he continued, his voice gravelly, with a tone full of meaning, "I have plans for us tonight." 

"Josh?"  CJ's voice reminded them of their surroundings and they shared a panicked glance as they silently wondered how long CJ had been in the office; Josh automatically wheeled his seat back a few inches.  "Have you got a minute?" CJ asked, her tone neutral and her face housing an indecipherable look. 

"Uh, sure," he replied, dragging his gaze from Donna to CJ.  Donna felt a blush rising in her cheeks and she hurriedly left the office, casting Josh an anxious glance as she closed the door.  Josh rubbed a hand over his face and then through his hair to settle on the back of his neck as he watched CJ closely, looking for signs of what she had seen and heard. 

CJ said nothing, but she fixed an inquisitive look upon Josh.  After a few moments, agonizing moments for Josh, she simply said, "We need to go and see Leo." 

Josh sat up straight and looked at her with a face full of nervousness, which he was desperately trying to mask.  "Why?"  CJ didn't reply; she just gave him another unreadable look and led the way from his office to Leo's, passing a clearly anxious Donna along the way. 

* 

CJ entered Leo's office first, followed by Josh, and found that Leo wasn't there.  However, she quickly spotted him through the open door to the Oval Office and he acknowledged her with a nod. 

"CJ, Josh, come through," Leo instructed.  CJ nodded and Josh swallowed hard as they walked through the doorway. 

They waited whilst Leo and the President finished their conversation and took a seat when the President motioned for them to do so.  After a few moments, the President noticed that Josh was fidgeting more than usual and wondered what was wrong, but decided not to ask. 

"Ah, Josh, I believe you want to dial back the rhetoric on the Education Bill," the President said instead. 

Josh looked surprised.  "You mean, that's what you wanted to talk to me about?" 

"Yes, why, what else is there?" 

"Uh, nothing," Josh replied feebly. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes?"  Josh's answer came out as more of a question and the President fixed inquisitive eyes on him. 

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Josh?" the President asked seriously.  Josh shook his head and the President continued, "Do you want to talk to me alone?  Or, do you want to talk to Leo?  You seem worried." 

"No, there's nothing, I'm fine," Josh stated, trying to sound convincing. 

"Josh, how's Donna?"  Leo's question came out-of-the-blue and immediately put Josh back on the defensive. 

"She's fine, why?" 

"She's got rid of the cold she had yesterday?" 

"Pretty much, yeah.  I think it was a 24 hour thing, the same as I had."  Leo nodded. 

"So, the Education Bill…" Leo prompted.  Josh took the hint and explained his reasons for cooling things for a little while.  He quickly gained the agreement of Leo and the President and breathed a sigh of relief that he could escape to his office, his safe haven. 

"You know, Josh, I'm kinda disappointed that you're not sick anymore," the President said with amusement as Josh started to stand. 

Josh furrowed his brow and let out an elegant, "Huh?" 

"Well, you're so much easier to tease when you're ill." 

"You're right, Sir," CJ chimed in.  "Maybe we need to tell Donna not to take such good care of him.  I'm sure we could have handled a quiet Josh for a while longer." 

Josh narrowed his eyes at the mocking, forming retorts in his head.  However, the President spoke again before Josh could voice anything.  "I always knew Donna was dedicated," the President said, "and I know they say that passing a cold to someone else makes you feel better, but I never expected Donna to willingly take your cold so that you could get back to full strength." 

Josh felt his lips form a smug smirk at the President's words and he couldn't remove it from his face, no matter how hard he tried; he kept thinking about how Donna had got his cold and why she was happy to have him back at full strength. 

"I wouldn't have thought she took his cold willingly, Sir," CJ pointed out.  Josh felt heat rising in his cheeks, surprising him, as he was not a person to blush easily.  He dipped his head to avoid the gazes of his companions but knew it wasn't going to be that easy. 

"True, CJ," the President agreed.  He directed his attention to Josh.  "Just how much punishment is Donna intending to subject you to, Josh?" 

"Hopefully, lots," Josh replied automatically, inwardly kicking himself as soon as he uttered the words. 

"Really?"  It was Leo who pounced on his statement.  "You're looking forward to being punished?  Just what does Donna have in store for you?" he asked pointedly.  Leo, the President and CJ were all still seated and Josh started to pace around the room, trying to avoid making eye contact with any of them. 

"Uh, I don't know…she prefers to surprise me." 

"Didn't her last punishment for you involve dying your favorite Harvard sweatshirt pink?" CJ asked with a grin. 

"Yes," Josh admitted, finally standing still and then opting to take a seat on the couch opposite Leo and CJ; the President was in a side chair. 

"What was that for?" the President inquired, laughing as he imagined Josh's face when he saw the sweatshirt. 

"I stole her bagel." 

"Josh, I think giving her a cold and making her lose her voice are rather more serious than stealing a bagel.  Why are you not worried about her retribution?" Leo asked, raising his eyebrows and staring hard at Josh. 

"Uh, I…" Josh shrugged, his mind running through possible answers.  For once, he was unable to think of anything and he settled for, "Things change."  He watched their faces register his words and he could almost see the recognition appearing in their eyes. 

"Josh, are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me?" Leo queried gently. 

Josh considered lying again but knew he had revealed too much; he thought back to Sam's words from years previously about his `lousy poker face' and he smiled at Leo. 

"Like what?" he replied, deciding not to give in too easily. 

"Are you dating Donna?" Leo asked bluntly. 

"Yes," Josh admitted, his face splitting into a large smile; it felt good to admit it, even though he was still nervous about the reactions of the people in the room. 

"I was *so* right," CJ announced with glee, smacking her hand on the arm of the couch.  Josh glanced up at her, looking stunned. 

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly. 

"I knew you and Donna were together," she stated. 

"How did you know?  We weren't that obvious." 

"I have my ways," CJ replied cryptically. 

Leo decided to interrupt CJ's triumphant celebration and question Josh some more.  "How long has this being going on?" 

"Since the night before Donna lost her voice." 

"A couple of days?" the President clarified.  Josh nodded silently.  "Why didn't you tell us before?  I know it's only been a couple of days but I thought you would have come to us immediately with this; you seemed nervous about telling us, did you think we'd object?" 

"Not really," Josh replied quietly, holding the President's gaze.  "We didn't want anyone to know until after the Inauguration." 

"Why not?" CJ asked, genuinely confused. 

"We didn't want to take any focus away from that.  I know that might sound egotistical," he explained, scowling as he saw Leo, CJ and the President give him looks which clearly stated they always thought he was egotistical, "but I also know that there's bound to be something written about us in the press.  Good or bad, that's going to take some attention away from the Inauguration; we don't want to do that." 

"Do you think you can keep quiet about it until then?" Leo asked pointedly.  "It didn't take us long to figure it out." 

"Yeah, I'm still wondering what gave us away, I'm sure it must have been Donna."  CJ raised her eyebrows and Josh rethought his statement, "Uh, I think we should just forget I said that," he said hopefully.  CJ smiled devilishly and Josh gulped.  "Anyway, in answer to your question, yes, I think we can keep quiet about it until then.  We're going to be working even longer hours than normal for the next week until the Inauguration is over." 

"Donna's going to be your date to the Inaugural balls?" Leo guessed.  Josh confirmed it with a nod.  "Well, everyone will find out about you then, that's for sure.  Can you both handle that?" 

"We'll be fine," Josh assured him confidently. 

"Okay."  Leo looked to the President. 

"Josh, if Donna wants to date you, all I can say is, you're a very lucky man," the President grinned. 

"I know," Josh said seriously. 

"And I'm now doubting Donna's sanity.  Leo, is it really wise to have someone that crazy working in such an important position?" 

"She can handle Josh, Sir," Leo replied with a smirk.  "Really, she's smarter than the rest of us." 

"True."  Josh mock-scowled at them all as they laughed at him but he soon chuckled along.  "Okay, well, just do what you've been doing, Josh, and if anyone finds out before Inauguration we'll deal with it then," the President stated. 

* 

"It is done!" CJ proclaimed jubilantly as she wandered into Toby's office.  "And, I didn't break any rules." 

Toby looked skeptical and CJ launched into the tale of how Josh finally cracked and admitted he and Donna were dating. 

"CJ, he was asked directly if he and Donna were dating; that's against the rules," Toby pointed out as she finished the story. 

"Ah, but *I* didn't ask him, so the rule was not broken," she grinned. 

"You must have hinted that you already knew," he grumbled. 

"I didn't.  Ask Leo or the President, they'll back me up.  I used my skill as a communicator to get Josh to the place I wanted him to be.  Yes, I was involved in *setting the scene* for Leo or the President to guess, but I did not drop any real hints so, no rules were broken.  Time to pay up," she finished elatedly, holding out her hand for the money. 

"As much as it pains me to admit this, CJ, you're good." 

"I know," she smirked. 

* 

Josh and CJ walked back to their offices together after the evening Staff meeting, talking quietly.  They arrived in Josh's bullpen to find Carol standing by Donna's empty desk. 

"Ah, Josh, I just took a message for you," Carol informed him. 

"Where's Donna?" he asked, his eyes scouring the bullpen. 

"She had to go and get something to eat, her stomach rumblings were getting pretty loud.  I said I'd man the phones for a few minutes since most people have disappeared." 

"Okay, what's the message?" 

"A reservations agent from `Travel.com' called to tell you that they've made your booking."  Josh tried to signal that Carol should stop there but she ignored him and continued.  "Two rooms have been booked at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the names of J. Lyman and D. Moss and the deposits will be charged to your credit card." 

CJ turned to stare at Josh, looking for an explanation, but he just shrugged and thanked Carol before entering his office and closing the door. 

* 

"Josh, you okay?" Donna asked when she returned from the Mess, stepping into his office and closing the door.  She'd got back to find a note from Carol saying that Josh was back and that he probably wanted to see her. 

He looked up at her and smiled.  "Hey, did you get something to eat?" 

"Yeah, I got you something too."  She dropped a bag onto his desk and he opened it to find a bagel. 

"There was a call while you were gone," he said quietly.  Donna looked at him questioningly and he filled her in on the message Carol had passed onto him. 

"You mean, CJ heard?" Donna asked, her tone a little panicked. 

"Yeah." 

"So, what do we…" she trailed off, her arms flying around. 

"Do?" he finished for her.  "Nothing." 

"Josh, we can't do *nothing*," Donna stated incredulously.  "If CJ—" 

"Donna, it'll be fine.  We're just going to continue on with what we've planned; it'll be fine," he assured, smiling at her and standing up to beckon her closer.  She walked into his open arms and accepted his kiss eagerly.  "We're going to do this *our* way," he declared firmly. 

* 

"Leo!" the President said joyfully, entering the Chief of Staff's office through their adjoining door after the evening meeting.  "Just the person I was hunting for." 

"Well, you didn't exactly have to *hunt* very far, Sir.  My office is right next door to yours," Leo pointed out. 

"Cut the crap, Leo.  Pay up," the President ordered, stretching his hand out. 

"Sir?" 

"You owe me a hundred dollars." 

"I do?" Leo questioned. 

"Yes, you do.  I was right about Josh and Donna." 

"We were both right, we both said they'd get together." 

"Yes, but we bet on *when*, Leo, and I was right; they're already together." 

"Sir, we made the bet two days ago, what did you know that I didn't?" 

"Leo, I know lots of things that you don't.  The tonnage of what I know—" 

"Mr President, did you know that they were together when we made the bet?" Leo accused. 

"No.  You saw Josh in there," he said, motioning towards the Oval Office.  "He was stunned that anyone knew." 

"So, what gave them away?" 

"Nothing really, I just used my `little grey cells' to figure it out.  In fact, you could call me Hercule Poirot." 

"I don't think I'll do that, Sir.  Seriously, how did you know?" Leo pressed. 

"Give me the money and then I'll tell you." 

Leo narrowed his eyes but handed over the hundred dollars that he'd just lost.  "So?" he prompted. 

"I heard Toby and CJ talking the other day, they were suspicious that Josh and Donna had got together." 

"That's cheating," Leo stated, trying to take back his money. 

"No, it's being in the right place at the right time." 

"How did they not know you were there?  Everywhere you go you have an entourage.  You haven't got the place bugged, have you?" 

"Unfortunately not, although I keep requesting that.  I have stealth, Leo." 

"Charlie told you, didn't he?" Leo guessed.  The President didn't reply; he merely grinned.  Leo rolled his eyes, knowing he'd just been `had' by his old friend. 

  
The End 

Sequel: "Revealed"


End file.
